He had confessed to the murder! 'I don't know how my DNA ended up in the victim's vagina'

On November 24, 2022, in Kocaeli, Sarah Alı Shareef (29), a foreign national who left her home telling her husband she was "going to the market," was found dead and partially undressed in the Agah Ateş Neighborhood, Tayyar Yıldırım Street, Hereke Amphitheater area. As a result of investigations into the suspicion of the young woman's murder, Ayhan K. (53) was taken into custody. In his initial statement, the suspect claimed that he had met with Sarah Alı Shareef for prostitution on the day of the incident, and confessed that they could not agree on money and that he had tried to force the young woman into sexual intercourse. He stated that he was intoxicated, panicked when the woman screamed, covered her mouth to silence her, and strangled her, resulting in the death of Sarah Alı Shareef. Following his statement, the suspect was arrested by the court and sent to prison.

"SHE MADE ME DRINK A PILL" CLAIM

The trial regarding the incident began at the Kocaeli 1st High Criminal Court. The detained defendant Ayhan K., witnesses, and the lawyers of the parties attended the hearing. Describing what he experienced on the date of the incident, Ayhan K. said, "I got the victim's phone number from my friend named Vehbi U. Vehbi wanted me to say that Sarah engaged in sexual intercourse for money, but that I did not get her phone number from him, but from Mehmet. I called the woman and said I wanted to meet. An hour later, I went to the place she specified and picked her up in my pickup truck. Sarah gave me a purple pill in the car. She said this pill was a delay pill. Later, Sarah told me she would get a phone and 800 TL from her mother. I took her where she wanted to go, and we waited in the car. After a while, a red Hyundai vehicle came and stopped in front of me. 3 men got out of the vehicle. They opened the door where the victim was sitting and asked for her phone. They said, 'You recorded our friend Vehbi's voice on the phone.' They took the phone and played the voice recordings. I intervened with these 3 individuals," he said.

"I SAW HER INSIDE THE VEHICLE"

Stating that he became unable to speak due to the pill he took, the detained defendant Ayhan K. said, "I said to Sarah, 'What did you make me drink?' and grabbed her by the throat; we fell to the ground together. Following this incident, the 3 individuals started hitting me. The person whose name I learned was Ahmet among these 3 individuals said he would go somewhere with my vehicle and the woman and bring something back. I did not accept this, but he went by force with my car and the woman. The other 2 men stayed with me. At that moment, Ahmet called the person named Mehmet, whose name I learned later, who was with me, and said the car was stuck on the road. 30 minutes later, these 2 individuals who stayed with me took me to my car with the vehicle they came in. When I got into my car, I saw 4 white sacks in the front right, where the feet are placed. These people said, 'Don't mess with the sacks, follow us.' I saw Sarah inside the vehicle where the 3 individuals were," he said.

DENIED THE DNA

Stating that they followed the individuals and went under the Hereke train tracks, Ayhan K. said, "At the place we went, 2 people got out of a Mercedes brand vehicle. I heard that one of them was named İsa. The other person was white-haired and had a tattoo on his hand. They loaded the sacks that were in my car into the Mercedes brand vehicle. I also carried one of these sacks. I felt that there was a tobacco-like substance in this sack. After this carrying process, I wanted to take the woman and leave, but they did not allow it. They said, 'Do not mention these events and Vehbi's name, or we will kill you.' I also got into my car out of fear and went to my home. The woman was alive when I left her. I do not know how and by whom she was killed. I did not kill anyone, I do not accept the crime charged against me. I want my acquittal. I did not have sexual intercourse with the victim. I do not know how my DNA ended up in the victim's vagina. I do not accept the statement I gave during the preparation phase," he stated.

HER MOTHER-IN-LAW FILED A MISSING PERSON REPORT

The victim's religious-marriage husband Abdulrezzak K. (34), who was heard as a witness, said, "I have been living in Turkey for 10 years. On the day of the incident, I went fishing with my friends. On the way back home, I called my wife. My wife said she was in the bazaar and would come home later. When I reached home, I called my wife again. My wife said she was waiting for the minibus and asked me to send money to come home. I sent 100 TL to her account, then I went to sleep. When I woke up at 00:00, my wife was not at home. I left the house with my car and visited a few hospitals. Then I went to the police station. The police told me that I did not have the right to file a complaint because I did not have an official marriage. Upon this, I took Sarah's mother and brought her to the police station. We filed a missing person report. About 2-3 hours later, the police called me, and I learned there that my wife had been killed," he said.

DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS

Mehmet A. (65), who was heard as a witness, said, "I know the defendant because I am a tradesman in the industrial site; he is my friend. I had previously had sexual intercourse with a foreign national woman whose name I do not know. I do not know if this person is the victim or not. I did not give anyone's phone number to the defendant. I have no information about the incident and I did not see anything. I was in Bayburt on the date of the incident," he said.

The court board decided to hear the witnesses at the next session and to continue the defendant's detention, and adjourned the hearing.